Best Public Schools in Penasco, NM

Summary:

The city of Penasco, New Mexico is home to three schools that serve students from elementary through high school: Penasco Elementary, Penasco High, and Penasco Middle. These schools operate within the Penasco school district and serve a community facing significant economic challenges, with all three schools reporting 100% of their students as eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.

Among the three schools, Penasco High stands out as a strong performer, ranking 28th out of 190 New Mexico high schools and earning a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. The high school outperformed the state average in several key metrics, including 53% proficiency in SAT English Language Arts (compared to 34% statewide) and 63% proficiency in NM Combined Science (compared to 34% statewide). In contrast, Penasco Elementary and Penasco Middle have struggled, with proficiency rates in Mathematics well below the state average.

The economic challenges faced by the Penasco community may be a significant factor influencing the academic performance of these schools. While Penasco High has maintained a strong track record, the inconsistent results at Penasco Middle and the performance gaps in certain subjects at Penasco Elementary suggest that more support and resources may be needed to help all students in the Penasco school district succeed.

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				SAT School Day English Language Arts (2024)	NM-ASR Science (2024)	NM-MSSA English Language Arts (2024)	NM-MSSA Mathematics (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	SAT School Day English Language Arts 11th Grade	NM-ASR Science All Grades	NM-MSSA English Language Arts All Grades	NM-MSSA Mathematics All Grades	Total
Penasco Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	13 School Rd	Penasco	87553	Taos County	Penasco	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 587-2230	136	4	35.1	100.0%	7 (5.1%)	0 (0.0%)	120 (88.2%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (6.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	48.3	197^th of 433 public elementary schools	54.5%		26.9	327^th of 435 public elementary schools	24.8%	130		37.0	48.0	13.0	$14,409
Penasco High	Public	9-12	13 School Rd	Penasco	87553	Taos County	Penasco	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 587-2230	76	5	14.0	100.0%	3 (3.9%)	0 (0.0%)	65 (85.5%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (10.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	82.3	28^th of 190 public high schools	85.3%		67.2	44^th of 170 public high schools	74.1%	16	53.0	61.0			$17,459
Penasco Middle	Public	6-8	13 School Rd	Penasco	87553	Taos County	Penasco	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 587-2230	72	3	26.6	100.0%	5 (6.9%)	0 (0.0%)	59 (81.9%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (11.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35.2	141^st of 235 public middle schools	40.0%		53.1	93^rd of 239 public middle schools	61.1%	48		26.0	38.0	14.0	$13,109

Cities Near Penasco

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Dixon	8.03 mi	1	11^th
Espanola	12.42 mi	17	121^st
Ranchos De Taos	15.04 mi	1	101^st
Taos	16.06 mi	12	48^th
Ojo Caliente	19.29 mi	3	67^th

See the top NM New Mexico cities

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the New Mexico Public Education Department.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.